


damned if i do, damned if i don't

by evanescent



Category: Tokyo Ghoul
Genre: Airports, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-25
Updated: 2014-12-25
Packaged: 2018-03-03 12:50:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2851361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/evanescent/pseuds/evanescent
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which one Touka and Ayato have to deal with unexpected amount of kindness, Kaneki and Hinami only planned to read books, and ordering coffee at the airport bar ends up being a disaster (but not really).</p>
            </blockquote>





	damned if i do, damned if i don't

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mielitapot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mielitapot/gifts).



> posted from tumblr, this was written as a christmas gift for miel in a tkgsecretsanta event. :)

In retrospect, Touka thinks she should have seen this turning out like that.

Looking up at the screen with arrivals, she sees that the flight from Takamatsu is noted as _delayed by 1h_ , probably due to the weather and upcoming Christmas — or, more likely, New Year. She sighs, annoyed and disappointed, just like hundreds of other people at the airport do.

“I’m not gonna sit here squashed up for another hour,” Ayato complains, getting up from his seat next to her. “Coming home.”

“Don’t act like a bigger brat than you already are,” Touka tells her brother, glaring at him. “We promised dad we would be waiting for him, both of us. Wanna spoil that for him?”

Ayato frowns and makes a noise sounding a lot like, “Tch,” but he doesn’t head for the exit. Instead, he taps the heel of his boot against the floor and says, “Well, I don’t how about you, but I’m going to a bar, it’s cold as shit here and I’m hungry.”

Touka hides a small smile and raises from her chair, scolding him, “Watch your mouth, idiot.” Getting Ayato to limit his swearing seems like a pointless thing; he is old enough to make these decisions himself, but still young enough to have some people glaring at him disapprovingly.

“And who is saying that?” Ayato smirks as they start making their way among crowds on the airport. “Do you need a reminding which one of us was struggling _very_ verbally on their essay about classic literature a few days ago?”

“Hey, don’t bring this up now!” Touka doesn’t want to think about this assignment any soon; not ever again, actually. She really got frustrated then and… _a few_ not appropriate words might have slipped out of her mouth. Well, she probably isn’t the model older sister anyway.

There are some fast-food restaurants and bars here at the airport, but most of them are already full and Touka considers resigning from this idea and going back to waiting. Ayato, however, spots a place that serves hot sandwiches and regardless of her protests, he turns and pushes the door open. She just rolls her eyes and follows him inside.

At least it’s warm in here, that much Touka has to admit. When their turn comes, she takes a coffee — a regular black coffee, not something named suspiciously like _Christmas latte_ or _Merry macchiato_ — while her brother buys his long sandwich and a hot chocolate. It never fails to amuse her; as much as Ayato acts tough and all that, he actually dislikes coffee.

“Alright, sister dear, now, onto finding seats, would you?” Ayato asks surprisingly politely, preoccupied with his food.

Well, about that. Touka has scanned the inside quite carefully and she hasn’t found a free table, so it seems they will have to share. There is a table by the window, near the corner of the bar and Touka takes her steps there, Ayato scampers behind her.

"Excuse me?” At the sound of her voice the boy looks up from the book he is reading, seeming a little startled. He blinks at her with light blue eyes. “Could we sit by your table? It’s a little busy here…”

He nods, putting a bookmark between the pages. “Of course,” he says and turns to the girl across him. “Hinami-chan, do you mind?”

She is also reading a book — a rare sight, but Touka has to admit it suits them — and smiles a little shyly. “No, not at all, onii-chan” she answers and takes her bag from the seat next to her, making space for Ayato, who just stands with his sandwich and chocolate for a moment longer, looking a little dumbfounded. Touka almost laughs out loud; her brother isn’t very good at dealing with kind people.

“Uh, thanks,” Ayato mutters out eventually, dropping down at the edge of the seat with his food.

“Thank you,” Touka says for the both of them appropriately, sitting next to the boy. He looked more serious at first, but now, from up-close, she thinks he can’t be that much older than her, in this grey sweater and a pair of worn-out sneakers. A college student, perhaps. “I’m Touka, this is my brother Ayato,” she introduces them, not to be rude.

“Nice to meet you.” The boy smiles at them. “I’m Kaneki Ken and that’s Hinami-chan.”

Touka thinks about this onii-chan and briefly wonders if the two are related. Something of these thoughts must have showed up on her face, though, because Kaneki chuckles.

“We don’t seem related, right? Well, we are not.” He takes a sip of his coffee and that reminds Touka of her own drink. “We are waiting for Hinami-chan’s mother, Ryuoko-san, but her flight from Hakodate is very delayed.”

“Well, same for us,” Touka says, wincing slightly and putting her cup down. “Our dad is coming home from Takamatsu, but it appears he will get here just in an hour or so.”

“Because of the weather, delays are a real nuisance this week,” Kaneki states, glancing around the place; most of people are eating and talking with Christmas music playing in the background, as Touka notices just now. Somehow, it’s not even that annoying.

“Yeah, they are,” she agrees and the silence falls at their table, interrupted only by Ayato rustling with his sandwich. Touka isn’t really good at small talk and all that stuff — well, it’s a different thing with customers, especially when they become regulars, but with some strangers she is most likely not going to meet again? She finds it a little… awkward. She hopes time is going to pass quickly.

Two songs later, Hinami looks up from her book and speaks up. “Is it good, Ayato-kun?” she asks, eyeing almost finished sandwich.

“Uh, yeah,” he answers, swallowing a piece. “Do you want to try?”

Touka stops an exasperated sigh forming in her chest. Her brother is an annoying brat most of the time, but sometimes, girls seem to fall for him. Well, apart from the times he has a tomato sauce on his face, just like now. She throws some napkins at him and orders to clear his mouth; she isn’t that cruel of a sister and a person to let Ayato make a fool of himself for too long.

Hinami chuckles lightly — not mockingly, though. “No, me and onii-chan shared a cheesecake,” she says. “Speaking of which, me and mum are looking forward to tomorrow, we hope you will come help us bake cookies,” she adds, looking at Kaneki expectantly.

“Well, if you insist that much,” he answers, smiling at her. _They may not be siblings_ , Touka thinks, _but they act like one. Well, certainly more than me and Ayato_.

“I’m sorry we are disturbing your reading,” she states as Hinami takes a sip of her cappuccino and returns to the book.

It’s Kaneki’s turn to avert his gaze from the page. “That’s nothing,” he reassures, rubbing his neck a little embarrassed. “Actually, I feel kind of bad for reading in your presence, but…” Touka isn’t sure what he means by that; probably either that the book is very interesting or he isn’t really good at chatting too, or both.

“And what are you reading, Kaneki-san?” Touka asks, hoping the talk will somehow go from there on.

“Oh, it’s _Dear Kafka_ , Takatsuki Sen’s first work. I’m actually reading it for the second time and the experience is even more disturbing than the first time. Hm, I think it’s the best word to describe Takatsuki-sensei’s works, _disturbing_.” He seems more relaxed and confident when chatting about books, she decides. “Have you read something of hers, Touka-chan?”

She shakes her head. “It sounds… interesting, but I’m not sure if it’s in my tastes.”

“Oh.” Kaneki looks a little disappointed, but then he nods thoughtfully. “Yes, I understand. Then, classic literature, perhaps?”

Across her, Ayato almost chokes on his hot chocolate and Touka kicks him in the shin under the table.

“I’m trying to focus more on Science these days,” she answers — it’s not a lie, after all — and, to avoid any more troubling questions, she notices, “Though, you seem very keen on books, Kaneki-san.”

“Well, I suppose that’s why I study Japanese Literature,” he says at that.

Shortly after, the waitress comes by offering to refill coffee in their cups; instead of that, both Ayato and Hinami order another hot chocolate.

“You didn’t like your coffee, did you, Touka-chan?” Kaneki asks when the waitress leaves their table.

She looks down at her cup and sighs. “Not really,” she agrees. “I work in a coffee shop, so I think I’m quite demanding”

“Ah, well, it didn’t really come to my liking, either,” Kaneki states, scratching his cheek, “but I can’t exactly complain in such circumstances. You work in a coffee shop, though?”

Touka nods. “I’m a waitress at Anteiku.”

“Hm, it feels like the name rings a bell,” he wonders out loud.

“It’s near Kamii University and…”

“Oh, I study at Kamii,” Kaneki says at that. “But I don’t think I have been at this place.”

She crosses her arms. “Hm, you probably go to that popular Kiseki at the other end of the street.” Touka huffs, a little irritated. “I admit, their coffee is good, but it can’t compare to ours.”

“My sister gets really proud of brewing coffee and all that,” Ayato says, rolling his eyes.

“Hey, brat, just because Yoshimura-san didn’t offer you a part-time job because you’re, well, _a brat_ , it doesn’t mean you can make fun of people who work hard,” Touka hisses at him.

“You two act harsh, but I can tell you care about each other,” Hinami states then, surprisingly honest.

Ayato’s mouth flies open, but after a moment he collects himself and answers, turning his head, “Tch, don’t say such stupid things so straightforwardly.”

Hinami laughs at that. “Ah, Ayato-kun, there’s no need to get embarrassed over something like this.”

“I— I didn’t get embarrassed!”

“Well, anyway,” Kaneki says quietly, glancing at her as Ayato and Hinami bicker in the background, “I think I should drop by to Anteiku before New Year. I hope you will make a really good coffee, Touka-chan.”

She blinks, somewhat confused. “Is that a challenge?”

Kaneki straightens up in his seat, a little uncomfortable. “What? No, I was just—”

“Alright, I will make you _the best damned_ coffee you have ever had in your life and then we will see how this whole Kiseki suits you!”

Just after a moment, Touka realizes she might have raised her voice a little. Probably a little too much, since a lot of people are giving them strange looks. Ayato just covers half of his face with a hand like he refuses to be associated with her.

Well, alright, she screwed up and let her tongue and temper get better of her. And she has been doing quite well till now. That’s why Touka finds it hard to talk to people sometimes. She ends up… snapping.

But Kaneki just laughs eventually, clears his throat and says, “Okay, that’s a promise, Touka-chan.”

Touka is at loss and her cheeks feel way too warm.

“Ah, Touka-san, Ayato-kun,” Hinami speaks up then, earning their attention. “Isn’t your time up?”

Touka glances at her phone; the girl is right, their dad’s plane should be landing about now. This hour passed surprisingly quickly.

Before walking away, though, Touka zips her jacket and says, “Remember, Anteiku.” She glances at Hinami and smiles. “You can come along if you want to as well, of course.”

“Thank you,” she responds lightly as Kaneki nods. “We will be there.”’

Ayato is a few steps ahead of her as Touka runs from the bar into the crowd.

“You didn’t even properly say goodbye,” she scolds him, matching their steps.

“I didn’t want to bother you and _Kaneki-san_.” He gives her a teasing look, but she knows better than to get bemused about it.

“Don’t be so dense, you will get to meet Hinami-chan again,” Touka says, smirking.

“Huh? Like hell I care!” Ayato shakes his head dismissively, but the tips of his ears are bright red. Touka thinks it’s kind of cute. “Better hurry up or we will be late at the entrance.”

At that, she chuckles to herself, but starts walking quicker, thinking that maybe the airports aren’t all that bad.


End file.
